Shoe



May 9, 1933. TARLOW 1,907,612

. SHOE Filed May 13 1932 f: A7- oR/ver Patented May 9, 1933 i,eo7,612

ISIDOR TARLOW, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS SHOE Application led May 13,1932. Serial No. 611,042.

rl`his invention relates to shoes and is useful in any type of shoealthough especially advantageous in the Goodyear and McKay types.

The object of the invention is to relieve foot strains which weaken thenormal muscle support of the arch.

On weight bearing in which foot strain is present the excessive strainoccurs on the musculature and ligaments that go to support the arches ofthe foot. ln strain on the long arch of the foot there is a disturbanceof the normal foot balance, which causes a rotation outward of the oscalcis,

while the head of the astragalus bears heavily on the inferiorcalcaneo-scaphoid ligament which gives away, allowing the head of thebone to pitch forward.

When this occurs, there is a severe strain put upon the plantaraponeurosis or the planta fascia. This plantar aponeurosis is of greatstrength and consists of white glistening libers disposed, for the mostpart, longitudinally and is formed of three parts. The

central portion, thethiclrest, is narrow behind and attached to themedial process of the tuberosity of the calcaneus. It becomes broaderand thinner in front and divides near the heads of the metatarsal bonesone for each bone.

Accordingly an important feature of this invention resides in a supportof novel shape functioning to give additional support where most needed.To this end the support is located beneath the shank of the shoe justforward of the heel breast forming, in effect. a central projection fromthe heel so designed as to give support t0 the planta fascia before itis put on stretch, thus to relieve strain and prevent pain before thereis a pull on the attachment to the calcaneus.

To the accomplishment of this object and such others as will beunderstood by those skill-cd in the art from the following description,the invention comprises the features and combinations of shoe partsfirst described in detail and then pointed out in their true scope bythe appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdraw`ing,-in which:` Y

Figure 1 is a view of a shoe, in side elevation, illustrating, by dottedlines, the effect on the wearers foot when the shoereceives the wearersweight as in walking;

Fig. 2 is a view, in longitudinal 'cross-section, of the heel portion ofthe shoe shown by full'lines in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view, in transverse cross-section, o on the line 3-3 of Fig.1;

rige is a view, similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a mode of repair torestore the action of thenovel support after wea-r has l,made itineffective;

Fig. 5 is a view, in perspective, of a rubber heel that may be used; and

Fig. 6 is a view, in perspective, of the tread face of a leather heelembodyingthe invention applied to the shoe. v

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate the invention, in its preferred form,applied to a conventionalv shoe having an upper 10, outsole 12, insole13 and a base lift '14 which may be of leather. To the base lift 14there-is applied a rubber lift 15 (Fig. 5) having at its breast anintegral, preferably semi-circular central projection 16 of greaterthickness than the thickness ofthe lift` 15 and providing a rearwardlyfacing shoulder 18. When the rubber lift is applied tothe base lift, asshown in Fig. 2` its shoulder 18 bears snugly against the breast of thebase lift 14, the rubberlift otherwise fitting the base lift. Itwill beobserved that the top and bottom faces 19 and 2O of the projection 16are parallel and that before the rubber'lift is attached to the baselift, the bottom face 20 is in the general plane of the tread face 22 ofthe rubber lift. This is purposely the construction so thatvwhen therubberlift is seated on the base lift theforwardly land downwardlyinclined shank of the shoe (indicated by 23 on Fig. v1) will turn theupper face 19 also'to an inclined position, the whole projection 16yielding and bending on its lineof joinder to the breast of the lift15,l so that after attachsmentite bottom face 20 is permanently inclinedforwardly and downwardly relative to the tread face 22. Thelift 15 isattached by nails 24 clenched on the heel seat as usual but theprojection 16 is specially attached by a nail 25 which is clenched onthe rear end of a metal shank piece 26 secured in position between theoutsole and insole.

A modiiication is shown in Fig. 6 wherein the invention is embodied inan all leather heel. Each -eather lift 28 is dinked with a generallysemi-circular lip centrally of its breast which together form a leatherprojection 8O under the shank of the shoe which is turned down by theshank inclination so that its bottom face 3l is inclined relatively tothe plane of the tread face ofthe heel just as shown for the rubberprojection l5 in Figs. land 3; `A heel'nail (similar to 25 in Fig. 2)`attaches the .projection 30 firmly to a metal shank piece.

The bottom face of the downwardly inclined projection of either form ofheel will, in time, wear to the plane of the tread face of t-he heel.Theadvantages, now to be described, of the novel shoe construction maybe restored bywithdrawing the nail 25 which secures the projection,inserting` a wedge 34 see Fig. 4) between the upper face of theprojection and the outsole to force thebottom face to an inclinedposition again, and then renailing to attach the repaired projectionimmovably to the shoe.

' In walking, the heel breast projection, because of its partiallocation in a plane below the plane of the tread face ofthe heel, meetsthe ground l'irst, then as the weight settles and bears on both the heeland forepart of the shoe the projection is bridged over by thedownwardly acting forces and is forced upward and presses upwardly onthe Ashank of the shoe just forward of the heel. l As the weight isthrown forward by bearing wholly on the forepart of the shoe the heel israised and the pressure is relieved. The relation of the shoe to theground, before the weight brings the heel down, is shown by full linesin Fig. l and the dotted lines of Fig. l show the foot at the moment theweight bears on both heel and forepart at both front and rear of thelined projection. The effect of the gradually upwardly moving heelbreast projection caused by downward pressure at both its front and rearis Ato spring Vor arch the outsole upward in the region of the heelbreast before the full Yeffect of the weight is felt on the planta andat the same time to longitudinally stretch-the upper forming the ankleopening causing it to tighten about the ankle. Thus a strong support isgiven to the planta be'- fore it is put on stretch and much comfort isderived from the snug supporting fit imparted by the arching shank tothe entire counter portion of the shoe. bridgingV over the low lyingheel breast projection at every step is aided and controlled by reasonof the projection being held immovably at the vital point through itssecure- This repeated action of rubber lift at the tread end, saidrubber lift i having a pressure exerting central breast projection witha solid top face engaged with said inclined shank and its bottom face ina plane forwardly and downwardly inclined relative to the plane of thetread face of the "f heel.

2. A rubber top lift for heels of shoes, Vhaving a lift portion and asolid centralized rela. tively narrow projection at its breast edge,said projection having its bottom face level and in substantially theplane of thetread face of the lift portion, being considerably thickerthan the lift portion andY having its top face unbroken and in a planeparallel toY its bottom face, said lift after being attached to a shoeadapted to have its bottom face in a plane forwardly and downwardlyinclined elztive to the plane of the tread face of the 3. A rubbertop-lift according to claim 2 in which the centralized projection isgiven ya top face of greater area than its bottom face.r

4. ri shoe having a heel comprising a base lift, a rubber top-liifthaving a centralized projection at its breast extending upwardly to loverlap the base lift and engage the shoe sole with its top face, saidprojection bending downwardly along its line of joinder to the breast ofthe top-lift causing its bottom facel to extend forwardly'and downwardlyrelatively to the plane of the tread face of theV heel. v

ISIDOR TARLOVV. Y

